North Brunswick honors Army veteran at May 13 Veteran Street Sign Ceremony
May 14, 2024North Brunswick honored United States Army veteran Edward J. Gresh, Sr. by dedicating Tremont Avenue and Prospect Avenue as Gresh Way on Monday, May 13.
Edward was born in Orient, PA Austrian immigrants, father John and mother Anna on March 10, 1921. Edward was the youngest of seven children.
Edward was a member of the National Guard and enlisted in March of 1939, a day before his eighteenth served in the U. S. Army, Sergeant, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 114th Infantry. Edward was an excellent marksman. He entered a Battalion Shooting Contest and was awarded best shooter and won a Winchester 22 bolt action rifle, that was the first firearm his only son learned on that he still owns to this day.
Edward’ s unit was federally activated when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. His infantry was sent to Fort Louis in Seattle, Washington to protect the west coast from invasion. While stationed in Washington, Edward’ s unit occupied a sandy beach in the wooded area. He was awarded a medical discharge. Once discharged he returned home, his unit was sent to Germany in the Battle of the Bulge, and most of the men never came home.
Edward married Ann in June of 1944 and they lived happily married for sixty- three years before Edward passed in March of 2007; his wife died years later in March of 2015. Edward was an active member of his Roman Catholic community; Knights of Columbus, St. Peters in New Brunswick, Parish Council, Trustee and Usher, Our Lady of Lourdes in Milltown, and Past President of the Milltown Lions Club.
Pop and Nan built quite a family legacy; Edward Jr. and daughter- in- law Eva, Joan and Donna, eight grandchildren and currently twenty- three great- grandchildren. Pop truly believes that God stepped in for them that fateful day he was discharged honorably, he very well could have been one of those men that never came home.
We thank and honor Edward J. Gresh, Sr. for his service to our country and community!
